Tuesday, January 21, 2014

For fans of Braedyn Murphy, the wait is almost over. Sacrifice, the third book in the Daughters of Lilith series, will be released on January 31, 2014.

Sacrifice (Daughters of Lilith: Book 3)

Just when Braedyn Murphy thought she understood the danger descending on Puerto Escondido, a new threat arrives. A cult devoted to Lilith has taken up residence in the little town, and when Cassie gets tangled up its intrigue, Braedyn realizes she might have to chose between protecting her friends and stopping Lilith from reclaiming this earth.

With her duties to the Guard wearing on her, Braedyn turns to Lucas for solace. Together they wonder if now is the time to claim their one night together—knowing that one night is all they may ever have.

Darker forces have their own plans for Braedyn and the Guard. Braedyn knew this fight could be brutal—but how much can one girl be asked to sacrifice in order to save the world?

"Before you even start this review, put down anything you are doing and go read Thrall. It's AMAZING! BREATHTAKING! Engaging and smart, Thrall leaves you speechless!"- Savannah, Books With Bite

"The writing style is so smooth, yet gripping. Add some good characters, well-paced story and you have something that I like. No, not like. Love... No surprise that “Thrall” gets full five stars and the highest recommendations I can give."- Linda, The Fantasy Librarian

"How do I even begin to put all the crazy, gushy, ramblings in my brain about this book onto paper?!? Where to even begin?....This book is a MUST read!"
- Hooked In A Book review on Amazon

"This is one of those books that I have been looking forward to since June of last year... I loved this book and I'm so happy I finally got to read it. I recommend the entire series for the fully developed characters, the impressive mythology, and the fight scenes. I am dreading waiting for the next book."- David, David-Reviews.com

"Great reading. LOVE IT. Jennifer Quintenz is a special writer who can be very riveting... Spent several sleepless nights in a crazy rush to see how it ends. Can't wait for the next books."
- Terri, review on Amazon

About the Author:
Jennifer Quintenz is an award-winning film and television writer, author, and graphic novelist. She has written for Twentieth Television, Intrepid Pictures, and Archaia Studios Press. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

When writing science fiction or fantasy, creating a new and original world can be the key to setting your story apart. While characters should be well developed, plot should have a clear arc, and other elements such as tension, imagery, and pace should all be carefully considered; fantasy authors often have the added task of building a believable and manageable world from scratch. Today’s article will reflect on some of the key elements of world building.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

When we first started offering Review Requests, the title of this Spotlight appeared in my inbox. I was very intrigued by its premise, therefore wanting to read and review it for myself, but I had to put it on the back burner as my commitment plate was already full. I'm glad I decided to hoard it for my own reading pleasure—and I am excited to spotlight it for all of you today!

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Jon Bassoff was born in 1974 in New York City and currently lives in a ghost town somewhere in Colorado. His mountain gothic novel, Corrosion, was called “startlingly original and unsettling” by Tom Piccirilli (a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award) and “beautifully bleak” by international bestselling author, Jason Starr. In addition to his work as a writer, Bassoff is the founder of the crime fiction publisher New Pulp Press, which was called “genius masked as genre” by New York Magazine.

Connect with Jon Bassoff:

The Interview

Joshua Allen Mercier: Which book introduced you to speculative fiction?Jon Bassoff:I’ve always been passionate about crime fiction and noir fiction, but I remember seeing the movie Angel Heart, and later reading the book (called Falling Angel) by William Hjortsberg. A very powerful experience for me, which showed some exceedingly creative things that could be done within genre fiction.

Monday, January 6, 2014

I hope everyone had a great Holiday Season! Speaking of Holidays...I apologize for the lack of content on the blog from around Thanksgiving until now. I started a new job around Halloween, and getting used to having a schedule that changes from week to week has been an adjustment—not to mention working during days every once and a while (something I haven't done since 2005). Enough about that, however; we have a book to discuss.

Today's title, Corrosion, comes to us from DarkFuse—a publisher that specializes in horror and dark fantasy, and one from which I've already spotlighted two other titles. Let's just say that I'm a DarkFuse Fan!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Welcome to a place where all of the characters from the fairytales of our childhood live together—but they don't even know it.

Season's Greetings, Beardies!

It's been several months since I have posted a review, and I am sorry. When the new school year started in September, I had 29 Kindergarteners by the end of the first week! Yikes! Twenty-nine little five-year-old bodies is a lot to mange. We waited patiently and finally hired a fourth teacher at the end of the month, but I have been busier than ever between helping her, starting my Masters program, and wedding planning. This winter break has been a blessing for my sanity; as much as I miss my Kindergarten babies, I will be sad to see it go.

I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays with new books to read, movies to watch, and to catch up on missed TV shows. I was able to reacquaint myself with many shows I follow, including Once Upon A Time, the subject of this review. I decided to watch the pilot episode again to remind me where it all started. I hope that if you do not already watch this show, this review will inspire you to have a day-long marathon of Seasons 1 & 2 over the holiday (they are available on Netflix and Amazon Prime)!